What's Your Food Philosophy: Abstain Forever Or Eat In Moderation?

[Disabledaccount 154]

There seems to be a lot of debate on here about this, some are strict about this and some more lenient. I believe it's important to develop new and healthy habits but the thought of never eating some foods again seems too extreme. I mean in my hey day I could easily devour half a pizza myself, if I can now have one occasionally while sticking to my meal plan isn't that fine? I'd like to still be able to have treats.

I'm still healing so haven't experienced this yet but in 6 months, if i'm staying within my calorie range and eating healthy foods 90-95% of the time, i think i'd be okay with that. Curious what people think especially those that are far out in this journey?

[Kattastic 114]

I agree with you as long as 90% + is heathy. I subscribe to moderation and one way I hold myself accountable is with tracking every morsel.

However, there are a lot of people, like my sister, who simply can't do things in moderation and she abstains. Know thy self, as they say!

[cindymg 629]

I am 6 months out. I find that some foods are trigger foods for me. And trigger foods don't just cause cravings for that food. When I eat a trigger food like a refined carb I suddenly find myself wanting other refined carbs. So for me it's best to abstain. My life is much easier that way.

So, some good news: I have found that my tastes have changed and yours probably will too. I no longer want things like bread, Pasta, crackers etc. I gave up sugars many years ago, and I no longer have a taste for sugar.

With the sleeve, I can truly say I eat to live, not live to eat. It's a constant Quest to get in enough Protein to keep my body strong, enough Water to keep my body hydrated, enough Fiber to keep my digestive system working. There really isn't room for anything else and I don't crave it anymore.

Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

[southernsoul 773]

I think everybody's different & I agree with kattastic...it's important to know yourself. I also think it's important to accept that you might change over time. Right now, I'm an eat in moderation person for the most part, but I'm only 5 months out. I enjoy the high-Protein, low carb way of eating & I don't particularly miss refined carbs. However, I try to stay mindful that what works for me now might not still be working in 6 or 12 or 24 more months. So, I'm trying to eat in a way that feels healthy and satisfying, but keep in mind that I may need to tweak as I get farther out.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

I agree with all of the above posters, know thyself. I am a vet at 3 yrs out and am now getting rid of the regain I experienced last year. That regain happened for many reasons but one of them was lulling myself into a sense of security with the "only in moderation" approach. Some people can do that, some can't. I can't. I couldn't before the sleeve and I can't now. I consider myself a food addict, in the past I have treated food in exactly the same manner as a druggie or alcoholic, self-medicating to ease internal pain. Some people out there can have one drink, one sniff of cocaine, one spoonful of chocolate and Peanut Butter Haagen Daz, and not be particularly interested in having more. If that were me, I would never have needed the sleeve inthe first place.

My choice is to abstain with a caveat; someone mentioned pizza, I won't have a slice of pizza per se, but I will take all my favorite toppings, put them on a cauliflower crust in a muffin tin and make a low carb high Protein gluten free mini pizza. I may not have Pasta noodles per se, but I will jullienne zuchinnis blanche them and make low carb high Protein fettucine. You see where I'm going with this?

Also as someone said, your tastes do really change, there are things I loved before that I can't stand now and vice versa.

One last thing - if you are still in your honeymoon period and already scheming on ways to eat bad/trigger foods, you might want to consider adding therapy to your recovery, I personally consider it essential.

[menene 4]

I am 6 months out. I find that some foods are trigger foods for me. And trigger foods don't just cause cravings for that food. When I eat a trigger food like a refined carb I suddenly find myself wanting other refined carbs. So for me it's best to abstain. My life is much easier that way. <br><br> So, some good news: I have found that my tastes have changed and yours probably will too. I no longer want things like bread, Pasta, crackers etc. I gave up sugars many years ago, and I no longer have a taste for sugar. <br><br> With the sleeve, I can truly say I eat to live, not live to eat. It's a constant Quest to get in enough Protein to keep my body strong, enough Water to keep my body hydrated, enough Fiber to keep my digestive system working. There really isn't room for anything else and I don't crave it anymore. <br><br> Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

Love this post-I'm pre but I know this is true for me I just hope I'm rational enough to adhere to it post-surgery unlike now

[Arts137 1,811]

I am closer to "Globe's" approach.

And 1/2 a pizza would have been an appetizer, not a meal for me.

SO, I generally am very strict, plan my meals and don't "just have a little"...

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I'm only 6 months out and I've learned that there is no generally "right" answer. We are all on different journeys and everyone's path to success is going to look a little different as well.

You need to make your choices on what your body can physically handle and what you can mentally handle. Your choices may possibly determine how quickly you get to goal or if you even GET to goal.

I chose sleeve over bypass because I didn't want to be as restricted as I believed bypass to be. I wanted to be able to eat sweets in moderation, but sweets aren't a trigger for me. I didn't get fat eating cake and so a few bites don't make me crave more.

On the other hand, I cannot have open bags of chips in the house. I will eat them. All of them. And lick the bag. And then buy more. It's bad. Instead I buy individual serving sizes of chips for the kids because I am too cheap to touch them. I don't know what it is, but having an open bag is a siren call for me and I cannot tear my thoughts away from them until they are gone. I am also staying away from nuts for awhile. Yes, they are healthy and a great snack and I fooled myself into believing I could measure out a portion and eat just that, but I can't. I dip into the can before and after measuring and when I am done with my allotment, I get "just one more" multiple times. I can, on the other hand, stop at the grocery store and buy a small baggie or an individual serving from the bulk aisle and be fine with just those. I am choosing not to for now, though.

My long winded answer to your question? There is no answer for all, there is an answer for YOU, you just have to find it. Don't be surprised if that answer changes on a regular basis. Mine has many times and I am sure it will change again.

For me, moderation works until it stops working.

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

I'm only 6 months out and I've learned that there is no generally "right" answer. We are all on different journeys and everyone's path to success is going to look a little different as well. You need to make your choices on what your body can physically handle and what you can mentally handle. Your choices may possibly determine how quickly you get to goal or if you even GET to goal. I chose sleeve over bypass because I didn't want to be as restricted as I believed bypass to be. I wanted to be able to eat sweets in moderation, but sweets aren't a trigger for me. I didn't get fat eating cake and so a few bites don't make me crave more. On the other hand, I cannot have open bags of chips in the house. I will eat them. All of them. And lick the bag. And then buy more. It's bad. Instead I buy individual serving sizes of chips for the kids because I am too cheap to touch them. I don't know what it is, but having an open bag is a siren call for me and I cannot tear my thoughts away from them until they are gone. I am also staying away from nuts for awhile. Yes, they are healthy and a great snack and I fooled myself into believing I could measure out a portion and eat just that, but I can't. I dip into the can before and after measuring and when I am done with my allotment, I get "just one more" multiple times. I can, on the other hand, stop at the grocery store and buy a small baggie or an individual serving from the bulk aisle and be fine with just those. I am choosing not to for now, though. My long winded answer to your question? There is no answer for all, there is an answer for YOU, you just have to find it. Don't be surprised if that answer changes on a regular basis. Mine has many times and I am sure it will change again. For me, moderation works until it stops working.

If I forbid foods, I will obsess about the forbidden and be a fool. The ONLY thing I've banned from the house is also the big bags of chips....tried it twice, did bad bad things twice. However, I currently gave a 50 pack of the single serving chips in the cabinet for my son, but like you, won't touch them.... Goofy.

The difference now is that I can have 3 or 4 bites of something bad and that's all I want (except chips). The uncontrollable urge to eat an entire cheesecake is gone. We've had a bowl of Halloween candy on the table for three weeks. I've eaten a miniature mr. Goodbar and 2 starbursts....previously that whole thing woulda been in my belly the first weekend.

[Kattastic 114]

You two and your chips! Hahaha. The only food that I won't allow into my house is anything larger than an individually packaged ice cream. Like you with the chips, if a half gallon were to be in my freezer, I'd find a way to eat the whole thing. But, for my daughter and fiancé, I buy individual servings of ice cream and have no problem not touching it.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Yup. If it's forbidden, I want it. If I am told no, I do it twice.

Unrelated/related story here. When my husband and I were first married, we both had good jobs, no kids, we had a house, new cars, we were very comfortable. I was out shopping and I found a ring I really wanted. It was about $400 and when I called him and told him I was going to buy it, he said NO. WHUCK MOTHA FUCKA!?!?! Like a good wife, I "obeyed". I bought a tennis Bracelet instead. It wasn't $400. Add a zero plus a lot. HA! He's not told me NO since.

[scarlet333 386]

For me its anything chocolate. New this was my trigger and waited until the day before of buy Halloween candy. But instead of buying starburst, or pretzels something that wouldn't tempt me I bought mini hersheys and lets just say the bags did not make it in the car ride home unopened. I have been struggling ever since. So lesson learned I can not keep chocolate in my house.

[adargie 159]

My trigger is chips/crackers those types of crunchy salty(mouth is now watering) I have not had them in the house since surg. I'm a little over 3 months out. But I always make goodies for my husband to take to deer camp so last week I made a double batch of spicy chex mix and whoopee pie Cookies. They sat for 24hrs before he took them. I resisted the cookies with no issues. But the chex mix, ugh not good. I had a small handful. Then saw myself walking back after 15 mintutes and grabbed the containers and put them in his truck! Out of sight out of mind!! Now I know what my triggers are. I am early out so I have not indulged much at all. That scared me. I will not bring them in the house, and my hubby doesn;'t need them on a regular basis either!!!

[gamergirl 4,609]

My trigger is chips/crackers those types of crunchy salty(mouth is now watering) I have not had them in the house since surg. I'm a little over 3 months out. But I always make goodies for my husband to take to deer camp so last week I made a double batch of spicy chex mix and whoopee pie Cookies. They sat for 24hrs before he took them. I resisted the Cookies with no issues. But the chex mix, ugh not good. I had a small handful. Then saw myself walking back after 15 mintutes and grabbed the containers and put them in his truck! Out of sight out of mind!! Now I know what my triggers are. I am early out so I have not indulged much at all. That scared me. I will not bring them in the house, and my hubby doesn;'t need them on a regular basis either!!!

Not only does everyone in my family love chex mix, but it's a holiday tradition for us. I want to make it for my kids, but I'm not sure how my husband and I will do around it. There were days in the past when that's all I ate for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the holidays. And I have a feeling those suckers will be total sliders.

Still trying to figure out whether or not I should make it for the boys. sigh.

[Kattastic 114]

Still trying to figure out whether or not I should make it for the boys. sigh.

gamergirl, Since your kids are still young, why not start a new holiday tradition which doesn't involve chex mix? Maybe it could be a healthy cookie recipe where everyone, including the kids, helps out making them... does such a thing exist??? If so, send me the recipe